


What Baking Can Do

by kimpotato



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baking, Bread, Family, Food, Friendship, Gen, Smile, legacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22403617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimpotato/pseuds/kimpotato
Summary: Jonghyun finally meets the mystery customer who keeps buying his famous Bugi Buns.
Relationships: Kang Dongho | Baekho/Kim Jonghyun | JR
Comments: 22
Kudos: 69
Collections: Spring Blessings (Nu'est 8th Anniversary Fic Fest)





	What Baking Can Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ilovenyuiseuteu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilovenyuiseuteu/gifts).



> Prompt #350:
> 
> Jonghyun owns a bakery and cafe. He loves to make this cute bread that are shaped into mini turtles, with chocolate cream. There's this one man who goes to the cafe daily to buy many bugi bread but because Jonghyun is always busy baking every morning, he never get to see the guy who loves his bugi bread. Until one day, Minhyun called to say that he'll be late because he needed to do something. That’s the first time Jonghyun meets Dongho, the guy who loves the bugi bread. And he must admit he has never seen a smile as bright as Dongho's.

"Your Bugi Buns sold out again."

Jonghyun huffed in reply as he tried to balance two trays of bread dough lined up for baking. The kitchen was hot, as always, and sweat dripped down Jonghyun's temple as he stacked the trays on the racks, one on top of the other.

"Give me thirty minutes. I need to pull out a fresh batch from the fridge," he replied as he wiped his brow with a towel.

Minhyun grinned from the doorway. "It's the same guy, by the way."

Jonghyun chuckled. "How many did he buy this time?"

"A whole baker's dozen."

The cafe co-owner shook his head. "I hope to God he isn't eating all of them by himself."

Minhyun laughed. "I don't think so. He looks too fit for someone who consumes a massive amount of bread everyday."

Jonghyun hummed, already blocking out Minhyun's voice. He needed to bake some more bread, after all.

***

"I'm off," Minhyun called from the cashier's area. "You sure you don't want to hitch a ride home?"

"Mingi said he's dropping by in a few," Jonghyun answered. "'sides, I need to finish this batch for tomorrow's opening." As if on cue, he injected another turtle-shaped bun with the special chocolate cream he had perfected years ago. 

"Make sure you make enough then," Minhyun chuckled. "In case our favorite customer drops by and buys out everything again."

"Yes, yes," Jonghyun waved his friend away. "Say hi to Ong for me."

"Will do."

As Minhyun's footsteps faded away, Jonghyun began lining up ten Bugi Buns on a tray, covering them with cling wrap and storing them in the fridge, ready for next day's use. Then he started cleaning the kitchen, washing the dishes and wiping every surface spic and span. He knew Minhyun would throw a fit if he missed a spot, and Lord knows what his friend would do then—probably scrub the whole kitchen, down to the last tile and corner.

"There."

Jonghyun commended himself for a job well done, just as his phone rang, indicating that Mingi was already outside, waiting for him in the car. Jonghyun checked the fridge one last time, smiling fondly at his specialty, excited to see if it will sell out again the following day.

***

"Hey, I'm running late," Minhyun gave notice over the phone. Jonghyun glanced at the wall clock and grimaced. It was five to seven, which meant the cafe needed to open in five minutes. 

"What happened?"

"Nothing alarming," Minhyun explained. "Ong's car broke down so I have to drop him off to work."

"I keep telling him to sell that heap of junk," Jonghyun muttered, signaling for Guanlin, Seonho, and Chowon to get ready for opening. The three part-timers fixed their uniforms, practiced their brightest smiles, and braced themselves for the morning crowd.

"You don't even know how to drive, asshole!" Ong yelled from the other line, making Minhyun laugh. 

Jonghyun pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just . . . just get here as fast as you can, please?" he begged as he motioned for Chowon to flip the OPEN sign. Outside, more than six people were already in line, eager to buy their morning bread and coffee before heading off to work. "I have bread waiting to bake in the kitchen, and I can't do that if I'm manning the counter."

***

Jonghyun was grateful when the morning crowd finally thinned out. Minhyun had called five minutes ago, telling him that he's almost at the cafe. Jonghyun motioned for Guanlin to replace him at the counter, so he could go back to the kitchen and start restocking the pastries that had run out.

"Uhm, excuse me," a timid voice called Jonghyun's attention as he waited for Guanlin to finish wiping one last table. 

"Hi," Jonghyun greeted automatically. "May I take your order?"

The guy at the other end of the counter offered him a shy smile. "Yes, I want to buy some Bugi Buns, please."

Jonghyun nodded. He knew his specialty was a bestseller. He already had seven different customers order a few pieces since their opening an hour ago. "How many would you like?"

The customer smiled shyly again. "Uhm, I would like to buy all of them."

Jonghyun blinked. "All of them?" he repeated, glancing at the breads on display. He did a quick count. "You want to buy all seventeen?"

"Yes please."

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically. The customer nodded.

"All right," Jonghyun shrugged, getting over his initial surprise. He punched some numbers into the cash register and then smiled at the man in front of him. "That will be 170,000 won, please."

The customer handed exactly 170,000 won, earning him a grateful smile from the cafe owner. "Thank you for giving the exact amount," Jonghyun beamed. "May I have your name, please?"

"Dongho."

"Dongho-ssi," Jonghyun repeated. "Would you like us to heat the Bugi Buns for you?"

Dongho shook his head shyly. "I'll be taking them to-go."

Jonghyun hummed as he gave Dongho his receipt. He paused. "Ah. Are you the one who always buy our Bugi Buns in bulk?"

Dongho nodded, his grin turning silly. "I bring them to the daycare. Our kids love them."

"Really?" Jonghyun was elated. "Wow, that's so nice to hear. Thank you!"

"Are you new?" Dongho asked, obviously getting over his initial timidness. "I've never seen you here before. Usually it's Minhyun-ssi manning the counter."

Jonghyun shook his head as he lined up the Bugi Buns in their boxes. "I usually stay in the kitchen. Minhyun-ah's running late so I'm temporarily on register duty."

Dongho's eyes grew wide. "You're the one who's been baking the Bugi Buns?"

"Yep."

"Oh wow!" Such was the change in Dongho's demeanor that Jonghyun couldn't help but chuckle. "It's really good! Is it your own recipe?"

Jonghyun shook his head as he tied a ribbon around the boxes. A soft smile graced his lips. "Our hyung gave us the recipe before he left for the States."

"Then please tell him his recipe is so good," Dongho beamed, smiling so widely that his eyes disappeared. 

Jonghyun froze. For a split second he thought it was Aaron-hyung grinning at him. Except that Dongho's smile was brighter, fuller. "S-sure," he whispered, handing Dongho his order. "Please come back again."

"I will!" That smile again. Jonghyun smiled fondly in return. As Dongho waved his goodbye, Jonghyun guessed it was time he paid his hyung another overseas call.

***

“You met him?” Minhyun asked, tying his apron while surreptitiously inspecting the kitchen counter.

Jonghyun nodded, eyes narrowing when he realized what his friend was doing. “I cleaned everything before opening, okay?” 

“I was just making sure!” Minhyun defended himself. “So did Dongho-ssi say anything?”

“He said he brings the buns to daycare,” Jonghyun shared, pulling out a fresh batch of dinner rolls from the oven. “I’m surprised you’ve never asked him about that. You’re usually chatty with customers.”

“There’s always a long line behind him whenever he makes an order.”

“He was the last customer for morning rush today.”

“Must be your lucky day then.”

Jonghyun bit his lip. “He asked if it was my recipe.”

Minhyun paused. “Well, you made it your own, right?”

“But . . .”

Minhyun shook his head. “I’m sure hyung would want it that way anyway.” 

An awkward pause. “I plan to call him when I get off work later.”

Minhyun smiled kindly. “Tell him I said hi.”

Jonghyun smiled weakly in reply.

***

_“Ten Bugi Buns coming right up!”_

Jonghyun felt his ears prickle despite himself. He was in the middle of sprinkling confectioner’s sugar on some donuts when he heard Minhyun call out loudly from the counter. He had the suspicion that his friend intentionally shouted the order, just to let him know that another bulk order for their bestseller was made.

Jar of sugar still in hand, Jonghyun peeked outside the kitchen doors and saw Dongho smiling his resident winning smile. Jonghyun felt his lips stretch to a grin. In his five years as a baker and cafe owner, he had never seen anyone so happy buying bread before. Then again, he was usually stuck in the kitchen rather than interacting with the customers, so who was he to talk?

Still, it made him happy that the bread he made were making other people happy, too.

***

“Oh, hello.”

It was an unusually slow day, so much that Minhyun asked if he could leave for a bit to buy some stocks for the cafe. With Chowon in school, Jonghyun agreed to temporarily man the counter until Minhyun got back. He didn’t expect Dongho to drop by since it was already past lunchtime. 

“Hi,” Dongho smiled, way over his initial embarrassment during their first meeting. “You have any Bugi Buns left?”

Jonghyun looked apologetic. “They sold out during lunch hour. I have another batch in the fridge, but it will take thirty minutes to finish baking.”

Dongho checked his watch and nodded. “That’s okay. I can wait.”

“Are you sure?”

The customer smiled again and pointed to a nearby table. “I’ll be right there, okay?”

Jonghyun motioned for Seonho to take his place at the counter as he went straight for the kitchen. He pulled the trays of remaining Bugi Buns from the fridge and popped them in the oven. 

As he waited, he decided to check on their customer. “How many are you getting?” he asked, walking over to where Dongho was sitting, laptop open and a cup of cold coffee in hand.

“How many do you have?”

Jonghyun laughed. “I’m baking twenty now. You want them all?”

Dongho nodded. “I know I already bought a lot this morning, but some visitors are coming to the daycare this afternoon and I need something to serve them.”

“I’m flattered you think our bread is worthy enough to serve to guests.”

Dongho’s eyes disappeared again as his smile reached his ears. “Everyone at the daycare loves them. You should be proud.”

And in a way, Jonghyun was.

***

“You’re in a good mood these days,” Mingi observed as they ate dinner at home. 

Jonghyun blinked. “I am?”

Mingi hummed and fished out a piece of tteokbokki from the pot. “Something good been happening at the cafe lately?”

Jonghyun groaned. “Minhyun-ah is such a tattle tale, I swear.”

Mingi grinned his infamous Cheshire grin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“He told you about Dongho-ssi, didn’t he?”

“Ah, so he has a name.”

“Rennie,” Jonghyun warned, giving his best friend a glare.

The younger man shrugged. “Can’t I be happy that you’re making friends again?”

“We’re not . . .” A pause. “I mean, he’s a regular customer. It just so happens that sometimes, we take the time to chat. That’s all.”

“Like I said, I’m happy that you’re making friends again. This is the first one since hyung left, right?”

Whatever appetite Jonghyun had quickly vanished at his best friend’s words. Mingi, ever-perceptive Mingi, smiled and reached out to squeeze Jonghyun’s hand. “You don’t always have to shoulder the burden alone, J-Rie. Aron-hyung wouldn’t want that for you.”

Jonghyun looked away but did not pull his hand from Mingi’s grip. “But this is his legacy,” he whispered. “I can’t fail him.”

“Living your life outside the cafe is not failing him,” Mingi gently explained. “When he left the cafe to us, he did it because he trusted us with it. That doesn’t mean our entire lives should revolve around the business. I mean, look at me,” and he swept his arm for emphasis, “I don’t go to the cafe everyday because I have other commitments. That’s living my life to the fullest. I suggest you try that, too.”

Jonghyun snorted. “You don’t go to the cafe everyday because Minhyun-ah banned you from coming on weekdays. To stop you from ‘stressing the regulars with your excessive energy’ was his exact words.”

“Go eat your tomatoes, jerk,” Mingi muttered, tossing a slice of tomato at him.

Jonghyun laughed and deftly moved away.

***

"I mean, I love the chocolate filling," Dongho mused as he chewed. "But next to that, I have to say that the coffee-flavored one is my favorite."

Jonghyun nodded and made some notes in his journal.

"What about the strawberry filling?"

Dongho tilted his head as if in deep thought. "I think kids will like it. A lot of our regulars at the daycare bring sandwiches with jam fillings in them."

Jonghyun hummed and scribbled some more. "And the cookies and cream?"

Dongho wrinkled his nose. "I'm personally not a fan, but that could just be me."

_Not a fan,_ Jongyun wrote down beside the flavor.

"All right," he murmured, going over his notes once more. "I think that covers everything." He flashed Dongho a grateful smile. "Thank you so much for doing this. I already asked Minhyun-ah and my best friend, but I need more feedback from actual customers."

When Minhyun had first suggested expanding the Bugi Buns line, Jonghyun hesitated because he didn't want to tamper with their hyung's original recipe. But Mingi encouraged him too, telling him that this would be his first step out of Aaron's shadow, of finally living his life the way he wanted to.

So Jonghyun had tried different flavors, using Minhyun and Mingi as guinea pigs at first, until they finally begged off because he had fed them with so many sweets in three days' time.

"Don't get me wrong," Mingi had clarified. "They're all delicious. But you're ruining my diet with all these carbs."

"Why don't you taste test it with actual customers?" Minhyun had suggested. "Dongho could be a willing subject."

And that was how Jonghyun ended up serving Dongho six different Bugi Bun flavors in the span of thirty minutes. 

Dongho beamed. "I should be thanking you," he laughed. "I get to try your new creations before the general public does."

Jonghyun smiled thinly. "It's not really my creation per se."

"Well, your hyung did the original recipe," Dongho agreed, taking a sip of the black coffee served with the buns. "But you put your own twist to it, so that makes it your creation, too."

And as Dongho smiled once more, Jonghyun saw again a glimpse of Aaron's heartwarming grin, as if he was right there, cheering him on.

***

_"Stop making such long faces," Aaron chuckled as he pushed the long folder toward Minhyun. In it were the documents legalizing the Deed of Sale of the cafe to his three juniors. "I haven't died yet."_

_"That's not funny, hyung," Mingi glared, for once not wearing his signature haughty smirk. Beside him Jonghyun fidgeted in his seat, as Minhyun opened the folder and started going over the Deed's terms._

_"Yeah, sorry." Aaron looked properly chastised. "But this should be a happy occasion. You'll be the official new owners of Canvas Cafe. And I can finally take some much needed me time," he ended with a wink._

_"There's nothing to be happy about owning a cafe because our hyung is too sick to manage the business," Minhyun stated matter-of-factly, pouring over the text of the document. Looking up, he asked, "When are you leaving?"_

_Aaron offered them a comforting smile. "I'm scheduled to fly out by the end of the month."_

_Mingi wrinkled his nose. "And this treatment, it's guaranteed to make you better?"_

_Aaron smiled patronizingly. "You know there's no guarantee that I'll get better, Mingi-ya." Another smile, warmer this time. "But don't worry about me. I'm not giving up. I'll come back as soon as I'm well, okay?"_

_"You better," Mingi mumbled._

_"Everything looks okay here," Minhyun announced, closing the folder._

_"Great!" Aaron beamed, his smile reaching his ears. "Ah, Jonghyunnie, I brought this for you." He fished out a thick journal and placed it on the table. "That's all the recipes for our goodies. Take care of it, okay?"_

_Jonghyun kept his head low, refusing to even look at the journal. Mingi nudged his shoulder, and Minhyun sighed._

_"Jonghyunnie," Aaron repeated._

_"I don't think I can do it, hyung," Jonghyun confessed, fingers gripping the hem of his sweater. "I'm not as good as you in the kitchen. What if we lose customers because they don't like how I bake bread?"_

_"What are you talking about?" Aaron chuckled. "No one else ever came close to replicating my Bugi Buns other than you. Have you ever tried eating one of Mingi-ya's creations?"_

_"Don't make me stab you with an eyeliner," Mingi warned._

_Aaron grinned. "There's nothing to worry about, Jonghyunnie. I have complete faith in you."_

_Jonghyun took a deep breath and finally looked Aaron in the eye. "I promise . . ." he whispered, and then, a bit louder, "I promise I'll keep your legacy, hyung. I'll make you proud."_

_"He's not dead yet!" Mingi rolled his eyes._

_Aaron laughed, then smiled at Jonghyun, eyes filled with warmth and trust. Gripping his hand across the table, he replied, "I know you will."_

***

"You should drop by the daycare sometime," Dongho invited as he paid for twelve Bugi Buns and one mocha frappe. "The kids will be thrilled to meet you."

Jonghyun bit his lip. "I'm . . . I'm not really good at socializing with people."

"That's okay," Dongho said kindly. "Interacting with kids is good practice."

Jonghyun took time to consider it. He could almost hear Mingi and Minhyun egging him on, encouraging him to get out of the kitchen and take a day off. He could picture Aaron nodding, his warm smile never leaving his face, telling him how proud he was of him. And he could see Dongho, not in his head, but right before his eyes, smiling his bright smile, his brown eyes hopeful, expectant.

Jonghyun couldn't help but smile back.

"Sure, why not?"

***

"We're releasing three new Bugi Bun flavors, hyung."

Jonghyun held his breath as he waited for Aaron's reaction from the other end of the receiver. He was nervous as hell, and only Mingi's encouraging smile and tight grip on his hand kept Jonghyun from dropping the phone and running out of the room.

"Really? That's great!"

Jonghyun released a tense sigh, squeezing Mingi's hand to tell him that everything was okay. Mingi smiled in relief, squeezing his hand back, before standing to leave the room, giving Jonghyun the privacy he might need.

"What flavors are you adding?"

"Coffee, strawberry, and caramel."

Aaron hummed. "Sounds promising. When are you launching them?"

"Next weekend. We're doing a soft launch and invited a few guests, some bloggers, maybe. Just to help spread the word."

"Good call. Mingi taking care of the invitations, I assume?"

Jonghyun chuckled. "He's our insider, after all."

"And I bet Minhyun's going crazy prepping the place."

"We had to physically manhandle him to make him stop scrubbing the floors a third time."

Aaron’s laugh traveled through the airwaves, only to be followed by a series of loud coughs. 

Jonghyun's forehead creased in concern. "Have you been taking your medicine regularly, hyung?"

Aaron cleared his throat, and Jonghyun heard the careful sipping of water. "Of course," his hyung answered. "I just laughed too hard, that's all. Don't worry about me, okay?"

"How can I not worry? Hannah said you haven't been eating well these days."

"Because she keeps serving me bland-tasting food! I told her I need my salt, but does she listen? Nooooo." Jonghyun could almost imagine Aaron rolling his eyes. 

" _Hyung_."

Aaron sighed. " _Fine._ I'll eat her disgusting food. Happy?"

Jonghyun smiled. "You should try your best to get well as soon as you can, hyung. The cafe's waiting for your return."

"I think the cafe's in good hands. You've become a capable baker, Jonghyun. I know I made the right decision to leave my recipes with you."

"I'm still lacking a lot, hyung."

"But you will improve. I know you will."

Jonghyun tried to blink away his tears, relieved that Aaron couldn't see him right now. "Thank you, hyung."

Aaron hummed, and Jonghyun could almost imagine him, smiling his radiant smile, so like Dongho's, but so different, too. "I'm proud of you, Jonghyunnie. I'm proud of all of you."

Jonghyun felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.

***

Jonghyun stared at the daycare's facade, unsure of what to do. He had been standing there for ten minutes, carrying two dozen Bugi Buns, wondering if he should just "barge in," like Dongho said he should.

Taking a deep breath, Jonghyun went up the steps and rang the doorbell. A pretty lady, around his age or slightly older, opened the door for him.

"You must be Jonghyun-nim!" she greeted. Jonghyun read her name tag: _Kaeun._

"Hi," Jonghyun breathed. "Dongho-ssi said I could bring some snacks . . .?"

"Yes!" Kaeun beamed, letting him in. "The kids are all expecting you. Dongho-ssi has been psyching them up the whole morning."

Jonghyun gulped as he followed Kaeun to a small classroom. As they neared the door, he heard Dongho singing a nursery song, with little voices singing along. 

"Look who's here!" Kaeun called everyone's attention as soon as Jonghyun made it to the room.

The kids scampered up and ran toward Jonghyun, taking turns to wrap their little arms around him. Behind them stood Dongho, smiling his winning smile that Jonghyun had come to appreciate and look forward to.

"Hello!"

"Hyung, hyung!"

"I love your Bugi Buns!"

"I wanna be just like you when I grow up, hyung!"

“Please marry me, oppa~” The last one was by a cute little girl, Anya (according to her name tag), who kept tugging at his pants, _hard._

"Okay, kids," Dongho called, clapping his hands. "Let's escort Jonghyun-nim inside the classroom, shall we?"

Ten kids tugged at Jonghyun's arms and pushed his back, making him sit down on the mat with them. Kaeun, bless her heart, had salvaged the Bugi Bun boxes amid all the chaos.

"Now what do we say to Jonghyun-nim for bringing us food?" Dongho asked, even as one little girl sat between Jonghyun's crossed legs. Ra Won, her name tag read.

"Thank you, Jonghyun-nim!" ten little voices said in unison.

Jonghyun turned to Dongho and watched him smile another bright smile. His heart felt lighter, better, knowing that meeting Dongho had played a large part in his decision to venture out their small cafe, to live his life, just like what everyone wanted him to do.

Shaking his head slightly, Jonghyun smiled his best smile in return.

"No," he whispered so softly, he doubted that Dongho had heard him. "Thank _you,_ Dongho-ssi."

###

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by songs from the "Waitress" musical.
> 
> Thank you, A, for helping me with the plot. And for beta reading. And for the self-insert. Yep, the last one's pure sarcasm.


End file.
